PICTURES OF GHOSTS (RETRATOS FANTASMAS) Documentary

Brazil’s Oscar^® submission for Best International Feature

Screening to be followed by a conversation with director Kleber Mendonça Filho.

Acclaimed Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho (BACURAU, AFI FEST 2019) turns his camera inward, crafting an infectious personal essay exploring the spaces and cinemas that have long lingered in his memory. Now living in his mother’s beloved apartment in Recife, Mendonça Filho is constantly reminded of the home as it once was, the birthplace of the gonzo films of his teenage years and the set of his breakout debut, NEIGHBOURING SOUNDS. But nothing stays the same forever, and 50 years on the apartment and Recife itself are full of specters of the past, including the mostly shuttered movie palaces of his youth. Weaving together home movies, contemporary footage and scenes from his films, Kleber Mendonça Filho composes a nostalgic love letter to his hometown of Recife and the lasting legacy of cinema. –Josh Gardner